Lee Konitz quotes

Lee Konitz was an American jazz saxophonist, celebrated for his innovative approach to cool jazz and improvisation. A collaborator with many jazz legends, he contributed significantly to shaping the genre's evolution. He influenced generations of musicians with his unique tone and inventive solos. Here are 27 of his quotes:

A first love always occupies a special place. (Lee Konitz)
I love Indian music very much, but I haven't studied that specifically. View quote
Lee Konitz
After playing now for 60 years, it's still very challenging for me to play a simple melody and have it clean and touch the reed at the proper time in the proper way. View quote
Lee Konitz
Sound is the first thing that we tune into. View quote
Lee Konitz
Most jazz players work out their solos, at least to the extent that they have a very specific vocabulary. View quote
Lee Konitz
As long as there are people trying to play music in a sincere way, there will be some jazz. View quote
Lee Konitz
You just keep playing. If someone special comes along and organizes it in a new way, then you'll have another approach and everybody will jump on it to try to learn. View quote
Lee Konitz
In some ways Lester Young is the most complex rhythmically of any musician. He does some things which are just phenomenal. View quote
Lee Konitz
Labels don't mean anything to me. I'm trying to play as passionately as I'm able to. If they want to call that cool, that's fine. Just spell the name right, is the formula. View quote
Lee Konitz
Many people do think it's naive to improvise in front of paying customers. I'm not saying one way is better than another. View quote
Lee Konitz
I understood that if I wanted to work, the saxophone was the main instrument. The clarinet was what we call a double. (Lee Konitz)
I'd like to feel that whatever I play is a result of whatever I've heard. View quote
Lee Konitz
We all learn from each other, and I never really hung out with guys in that way, so I missed out. View quote
Lee Konitz
Benny Goodman was one of the big influences as a clarinet player. That's why I wanted the clarinet. View quote
Lee Konitz
I just completed a tour in Europe. I played every night. This requires traveling some days for six hours in a van or a train or a car. After six weeks of that, I checked into the hotel and just fell apart. View quote
Lee Konitz
I listen to classical music very much. There's a lot of jazz that I don't enjoy listening to. View quote
Lee Konitz
It was 100 percent music. There was no ego involved, no attitudes, no black and white, it was pure music. View quote
Lee Konitz
I wish that person outside would stop coughing. View quote
Lee Konitz
I always felt as a horn player, a jam session wasn't satisfying enough for me. I should have been a rhythm section player, actually. View quote
Lee Konitz
Names and theoretical things don't occur to me. If they do, I'm not doing my real playing mode. View quote
Lee Konitz
It's very demanding to make up your own music. (Lee Konitz)
Out of Coltrane's whole history, there are things which I think are great from all the periods. View quote
Lee Konitz
I could stop and say, Well that was a D minor, G seven, but I really don't want to know that. I just want to know that there's a combination of notes that makes a sound. View quote
Lee Konitz
Bernstein grew up in my building in New York. He's a very, very fine player. When he was a kid, he came by to find out what was going on in the world of jazz. View quote
Lee Konitz
I have been able to get a small audience. It's not the huge audience, but it's enough to make it possible to play. I appreciate that. View quote
Lee Konitz

Lee Konitz

Lee Konitz - Image
Photo: Schorle, CC BY-SA 4.0
Occupation: American Musician
Born: October 13, 1927
Died: April 15, 2020
Quotes count: 27